Salah receives hero’s welcome in Turkey ahead of expected move to Trabzonspor

Turkish club Trabzonspor is set to confirm Mohamed Salah’s signing as the Egypt captain arrived smiling at an Istanbul airport on Wednesday wearing his future club’s burgundy and blue kit.

Hundreds of fans jostled outside the airport to get a glimpse of the former Liverpool forward.

The 34-year-old left Liverpool at the end of last season after spending nine years on Merseyside, scoring 257 goals in 442 appearances and having won the Premier League twice and the Champions League once.

Trabzonspor announced a day earlier they were in talks with Salah and club chairman Ertugrul Dogan said they expected to sign the Egyptian on a free transfer at a ceremony in the Black Sea city on Thursday.

"Trabzon, are you ready? I can hear you. See you very soon," Salah said in a video posted by the club on X.

"Everywhere is Trabzon to us," he added while wearing a Trabzonspor kit, referring to the club's motto.

Mohamed Salah was met by hundreds of fans when he arrived at Ataturk Airport. He responded to supporters by waving at them and initiated a traditional chant with them, before departing for a medical check and a later planned flight east to Trabzon.

Salah enjoyed a remarkable 2024-25 campaign, scoring 29 Premier League goals and registering 18 assists, equalling the league record for most goal involvements in a single season and setting the record for a 38-game campaign.

He was named Premier League Player of the Season and won the Golden Boot and the Playmaker Award, becoming the first player to take all three in one campaign.

His last season with the Premier League club was not ideal, with seven goals and seven assists in 27 league matches and he was left on the bench in Champions League games.

Salah started his career in Europe at Swiss side Basel in 2012 and then got a chance to play for Chelsea. He also had brief spells at Fiorentina and AS Roma between 2015 and 2017 before joining Liverpool.